This afternoon I presented to the Parliamentary ​Health Select Committee​ about my submission on Hon Maryan Street’s petition about voluntary euthanasia​ (or assisted dying). Imagine my delight when I saw, sitting in the sub-committee to which I was to present, Hon Simon O'Connor, the Committee's Chair​​, and Poto Williams, Labour's spokesperson on disability issues, whom I have met several times​. Score!

I began by acknowledging the death this morning of Helen Kelly who, in her struggle with cancer, lobbied for legalisation of both medical cannabis use and assisted​ dying (AD). Helen, if you're reading this somewhere and you had anything to do with ​the sub-committee make-up, many, many thanks.

'Right' is an interesting word. It can refer to the state of being correct, a (legal) entitlement, a conservative political stance, the opposite direction to left, among other things.

But the belief that one is right about, or has a right to, a certain thing, with no willingness to change stance, can lead to a varying number of undesirable outcomes. It also ignores the diversity and complexity involved in a lot of decision-making processes.

I am Managing Director of Diversity New Zealand Ltd. I am recognised in New Zealand and overseas as a social and creative entrepreneur with fifteen years’ experience as a professional, award-winning comedian. My company works to develop capacity in individuals, teams, organisations and communities in the areas of leadership, diversity, complexity and change.

Many disabled people oppose the legalisation of assisted dying, as they fear it will make people feel obliged to end their own lives so as not to be a burden on family, friends, and society. I strongly disagree – disabled people can also suffer from terminal illnesses and deserve the same rights to dignity and autonomy as non-disabled people. Conflating the issues of disability discrimination and assisted dying is not useful – we should not deny one right by promoting another. As a staunchly active disabled person, I value equally my right to live and my right to choose to end my life in the case of acute suffering.

I was a witness for Lecretia. I've kept quiet until now out of respect for her and her family. Now I feel compelled to reiterate my stance on voluntary euthanasia.

The following is taken from my affidavit. As I said in an email to Lecretia's lawyers this morning, I think this is such an important issue and I'm committed to doing what I can to ensure that it remains high in consciousness, in public and political spheres.

Nearly 15 years ago, when I was 30 (he says, suddenly realising his age), I read millionnaire and "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" guruRobert Kiyosaki's second book, The Cashflow Quadrant. It changed my life in many ways, including increasing what Kiyosaki terms my Financial IQ. But most of all it began me thinking about the spectrum of freedom and security.

Financial freedom, Kiyosaki believes, is the key to wealth. It requires a leap of faith, however, to abandon the security of a salary or welfare payment and become self-employed, a business owner and/or investor. Nevertheless, choosing financial freedom was why left my job in 1998 and became self-employed, rather than going on a benefit. I've never regretted it.

If you know me well, you'll be aware I'm not a fan of the monetary system, but we're stuck with it for now, and better to know how it works than not. The idea of freedom and security reaches a lot wider though.

”Your feelings are your response to what you are being, but your being is not a response to anything. It is a choice." –Neale Donald Walsch.

It created a great conversation with Sam and Sharon within an hour, early even though it was. I thought I’d summarise it as a blog as I think it brings up interesting about the nature of choice and whether the belief that we lack choice is the cause or the result of hurtful circumstances.